Apples are easy to grow, but they need the right conditions if you want to have years of bountiful harvests.

The best time to plant apples is from late autumn to early spring, while they lie dormant. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and give the soil a boost by forking in plenty of compost or well-rotted farmyard manure over a wide area around the planting hole – this will encourage the roots to explore outwards into the surrounding soil.

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